In 2000-2001, the Bobcats took 11th place
out of 25 teams at the New England Div. III Championships, Bates' highest
finish in 14 years. Bates returns four of its top six players from a year
ago.Senior Mary Dorman (Holden, Mass.) and junior Talbott Randall
(Norwalk, Conn.) will serve as cocaptains in 2001-02. Paul Gastonguay '89,
who has led the Bates men to two straight NCAA berths, takes over as head
coach of the women's tennis program as well.

Bates plays both a fall and a spring season. The fall schedule includes as
many as 10 dual matches along with the Rolex Division III Championships and
the Division III New England Championships. The spring season brings a continuation
of dual matches; the inaugural NESCAC conference championship; a spring break
trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C.; the State of Maine Intercollegiate Championships;
and the NCAA tournament.

With the addition of eight brand new courts over the summer of 1999, Bates
tennis facilities are among the best in New England. Built in memory of the
late College trustee James G. Wallach '64, each of the courts features tournament-quality
lighting, Plexi-Cushion hard court surface and stadium seating for up to 300
spectators. Six of the courts are in the vantage point of a 25-foot-high tennis
house with a viewing deck and tournament desk for the coaching staff. In addition,
Merrill Gymnasium is situated right next door to the new facility. Merrill
houses four indoor courts, allowing 12 courts to be used simultaneously for
tournaments.

Paul Gastonguay '89 (pgastong@bates.edu), the winningest men's
tennis player in Bates College history, amassed a combined record of 149-41
in his four-year playing career. He set three of the top four single-season
marks in school history and became the Bobcats' second-ever All-American in
tennis in his senior season, during which he was a finalist for the NCAA Arthur
Ashe Award. Gastonguay competed professionally in International Tennis Federation
Satellite, Challenger and ATP Tour events, where he achieved world rankings
in singles and doubles. He served as a practice partner for former ATP Tour
top ranked player, Ivan Lendl, during the last four years of his career.